Last Week Tonight with John Oliver alone is worth the fee of an HBO subscription, if you ask me. Oliver tackles each and every trending topic with a passionate point of view and sharp wit and is often able to take his “bits” further than other late-night comedians who are tied down by major cable networks’ restraints. The topic of Brexit is obviously no exception, and Oliver’s Brexit segment perfectly described the absurdity of the vote.
The subject is literally close to home for him, being that he grew up in a suburb of Birmingham (England, not Alabama). Watching Brexit happen from the U.S. feels like when Scrooge is shown what his future could be if he doesn’t change his ways, as America will join Britain in its state of utter chaos if Donald Trump is elected president. (Sidenote: please, please, please make sure you are registered to vote. It’s not that hard.)
Aside from knowing that “Brexit” is a combination of “Britain” and “exit,” I haven’t been entirely sure of what’s going on over there. Many a blog, celebrity, and comedian have weighed in on the issue, but as soon as shit when down, I thought the same thing comedian Janelle James did:
We luckily didn’t have to wait too long, since Last Week aired just days after the vote. The week before, Oliver even went over the subject with careful detail for a full 15 minutes, explaining exactly what it meant and what could happen either way.
After Britain voted to leave the EU, Oliver gave us an update on the situation and hit a home-run in the very beginning of the segment, saying:
“Straight away with the United Kingdom — a place whose very name after this week’s events is beginning to sound a bit sarcastic.”
A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, just as Oliver’s use of analogy helps me process all of this information that I would otherwise find very confusing.
Everyone always wants to know, “How will this effect me?” Here, Oliver gives us a better idea of the gravity of the situation as it relates to individuals here in the States, saying it’s “…a decision that has shaken the world, and not in a ‘Muhammed Ali beating Sonny Liston’ kind of way, more in a ‘those Ikea meatballs you love contain horse’ kind of way.”
The video is full of such brilliant analogies, as well as clever roast jokes directed towards the men directly responsible for the whole ordeal. Take for example, Brexit backer Nigel Farage, or as Oliver calls him, “three-time cover model for Punchable Face magazine.”
Oh, how I wish “Punchable Face Magazine” was a reality — I have so many suggestions for future covers.
Thank you Oliver, for once again explaining confusing and terrifying news in a way Americans can understand.
Original by Liz Magee @JokesMagee
